As we once again embark on this time of Bright Sadness — the season of Great Lent which prepares us for the celebration of Pascha in about seven weeks’ time — we anticipate new revelations of God’s love and His forgiveness. At Holy Trinity, we will have many special services to help us focus on our journey and on our goal:

First Week, Feb. 22 to 28

♦Forgiveness Vespers – Sunday, Feb. 22, 1 to 2 p.m.

♦Great Compline and the Canon of St. Andrew – Monday to Thursday inclusive, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

We are so thankfulfor God’s hand upon us throughout this past year, blessing and leading us as we strive to follow Him. He has brought many new faces into our midst, and taken home one or two dear ones that are greatly missed. He has inspired us to hold more regular services each week (Wednesday morning Matins, and Matins before Sunday Liturgy). He has helped us with decisions about our building and grounds, making a beautiful and functional change to our hall and parking lot. And He has given us opportunities to serve the wider Moose Jaw community. We continue to trust Him for the coming year, and all that it may hold.

On September 29 we held a joyous celebration of our 100 years as an Orthodox presence in Moose Jaw. In 1913, our parish was founded by a small group of immigrant people who wanted to worship as Orthodox Christians in their new home. 100 years later, and after many, many changes, our church is still here, in the same location, worshiping God in the same Orthodox manner. Faces, cultures and languages have changed — but God’s faithfulness is just as evident now as it was 100 years ago.

Our celebration was divided into three distinct parts. First, a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated, at which Bishop Irenee, the head of the Archdiocese of Canada, O.C.A., presided. Along with our parish priest Father John, several other clergy participated. These included Deacon Jesse Isaac from Edmonton, sub-deacon Timothy (Edmonton), Father Andrew Piasta (Canora, SK), Fr. Rodian Luciak (Yorkton), Fr. Dan Nenson (Regina), Father Gregory Scratch (Winnipeg) and our own sub-deacons Andriy Pryadko, Nelson Reid and Brian Sanderson. Our little church was filled to capacity and the singing was full of joy.

After the service, many made their way to a local hall where displays had been prepared for viewing. An invitation was extended to the general public to come and reminisce with us, and it was heartening to see people browsing through the photo albums or exclaiming when they saw familiar faces in the larger displays. Many commented on how much they enjoyed themselves.

At 3 p.m., the seats began to fill for the program and banquet. A DVD was presented which covered many decades of parish history in just 20 minutes. One of the highlights of this DVD was a scene in which six long-time members of St. Anne’s Ladies Aid sat around a table and prayed in unison, obviously enjoying their time together. Parish president Susie Sanderson presented a short talk, referring to Scripture and the Liturgy to describe the faithfulness of God’s people through the parish’s history. We finished by enjoying a delicious catered meal — including cabbage rolls and perogies, trademarks of Holy Trinity’s Ladies Aid.

Other priests, Fr. Spyros Vandoros (Regina) and Fr. Cosmin Sicoe (Regina) and Moose Jaw mayor Deb Higgins joined us for the afternoon part of the celebration. Many other out-of-town guests were also present. Our guest book shows that over 125 people took part, and those of us who worked hard to prepare for this celebration are satisfied that our efforts were well appreciated. Glory to God!

Look for more photos in the Photo Gallery (2013, 100th Anniversary Celebration) on this website.

We are a multi-cultural parish of the Canadian Archdiocese of the Orthodox Church in America under His Grace, Bishop Irenee. Our parish was established in 1913, which made us 100 years old last year, 2013. See the post above for an account of our celebration.

Weekly services:

Divine Liturgy every Sunday at 10 a.m., preceded by the Third Hour

Great Vespers every Saturday at 7 p.m.

We also have special services to celebrate the Great Feasts of the Church. Please contact us for more information.

All services are conducted in English. Visitors are always welcome!

Our desire is to establish a faithful Orthodox Christian witness in our area by:

worshipping and working together as a church community

seeking to transform ourselves, by God’s grace, into icons of Jesus Christ

undertaking service to the Moose Jaw community.

We invite you to visit us, and explore the rich depths of Holy Orthodoxy.